# Police raid on the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad
Category: Violence against citizens
Period: from 21 Jan 2026
Outcome: Under investigation (as of 26 Jan 2026)
On 21 January 2026, police forcibly removed students who were blockading the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad over the dismissal of professor Jelena Kleut, and dean Milivoj Alanović says he was the one who called them in. According to a student and a professor, officers rammed them in the chest, kicked them and hit them with fists and shields. The Democratic Party filed a criminal complaint against the police chief and the gendarmerie commander, and after Kleut, professor Vladimir Mihić also lost his job. On 4 November 2026, the faculty's union called on the dean to resign.
## Professor Kleut dismissed
In November 2025, the Senate of the University of Novi Sad did not promote associate professor Jelena Kleut to full professor, even though the expert bodies had given her a positive assessment. According to the portal 021.rs, the decision was based on an objection filed after the legal deadline; sources differ on who filed it.
On 15 January 2026, the expanded Senate rejected her appeal in a secret ballot, and on 21 January she was handed her dismissal notice. Kleut sued the University before the Administrative Court; in June, dean Milivoj Alanović said the proceedings against the faculty had been suspended until that case is resolved. Kleut says she was asked for a certificate that no one else before that Senate had been required to have.
## Police in the faculty
On 21 January 2026, students of the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad blockaded the building over the dismissal of professor Jelena Kleut. The police forcibly removed them. Dean Milivoj Alanović told N1 that he had called the police that day because he did not want to accept the students' ultimatum.
Student Uglješa Surdučki told Danas that although he was carrying a press card, officers rammed him in the chest and threw him out. On 26 January, professor Tatjana Đurin reported a workplace injury and said the officers had kicked people and hit them with fists and shields.
## Criminal complaint against the commanders
The same day, the Democratic Party filed a criminal complaint against the head of the Novi Sad Police Department, Nevenko Marić, and gendarmerie commander Dejan Obrenović. The complaint states that they ordered the use of force against students and professors who were protesting peacefully.
## The deputy chief and “100 Ustaše”
Deputy chief Momčilo Sovilj, who according to Danas was himself at the faculty during the operation, shared a social media post the same day saying that “100 Ustaše” could be thrown out of the faculty “in 15 minutes”. The post was first made public by Borislav Novaković, vice-president of the People's Party.
The Interior Ministry did not open disciplinary proceedings against Sovilj, and at the end of January he became acting head of the police department. The portal Nova.rs reports that chief Marić and Milan Malbaša, commander of the Petrovaradin police station, were also filmed inside the building.
## Professor Mihić also out of a job
After Jelena Kleut, psychology professor Vladimir Mihić also lost his job. Patrik Drid, dean of the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, twice objected to his reappointment, and according to the portal 021.rs, in the second objection he held Mihić's public support for the blockades against him.
On 4 June 2026, the Senate of the University of Novi Sad did not reappoint him in a secret ballot, even though the expert councils were in favour, and on 14 July the expanded Senate rejected his appeal. His employment ended on 20 July, after 24 years at the faculty; he has announced a lawsuit before the Administrative Court.
## Complaint and lawsuit against the dean
In April 2026, Dean Alanović reported professor Nevena Jevtić to the faculty's Ethics Committee over what he claims was hate speech at a protest in September 2025. Jevtić says the harshest sanction could be a prelude to her dismissal.
On 21 August 2026, ten professors, among them Tatjana Đurin, sued the faculty and the dean before the Higher Court over what they describe as discrimination. According to Đurin, the dean refused three times to put their motion for his removal on the faculty council's agenda. In his explanation, he stated that because they had taken part in the protests, they could not view the facts objectively.
## Call for the dean to resign
On 4 November 2026, the Independent Union of the Faculty of Philosophy called for Alanović to resign, as members of the Teaching and Research Council had done before it, and announced measures under the Law on Strikes if the council is not convened to decide on his removal.
## Participants
- [Novi Sad Police Department](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/pu-novi-sad): According to journalist Surdučki and Professor Đurin, police officers forcibly removed them from the faculty, kicked them and struck them with fists and shields (responsible)
- [Nevenko Marić](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/nevenko-maric): According to Milivojević's criminal complaint, as police chief he unlawfully ordered the use of force against students and professors who were protesting peacefully (responsible)
- [Dejan Obrenović](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/dejan-obrenovic): According to Milivojević's criminal complaint, as Gendarmerie commander he unlawfully ordered the use of force against students and professors at the faculty (responsible)
- [Srđan Milivojević](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/srdjan-milivojevic): He filed a criminal complaint against police chief Marić and commander Obrenović, stating that they ordered the use of force (oversight and the public)
- [Milivoj Alanović](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/milivoj-alanovic): As he told N1, on 21 January he called the police into the faculty twice because students had given him an ultimatum to leave the building (responsible)
- [Patrik Drid](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/patrik-drid): He twice lodged an objection to Professor Mihić's re-election, faulting him for a tweet and for supporting the blockades; the Senate then did not re-elect him (responsible)
- [University of Novi Sad](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/univerzitet-u-novom-sadu): The Senate did not promote Professor Kleut and, in a secret ballot, rejected Professor Mihić's re-election, even though, according to the dean, the statute requires an open vote (responsible)
- [Independent Trade Union of the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/nezavisni-sindikat-filozofskog-fakulteta-novi-sad): He called for Dean Alanović's resignation and announced measures under the Strike Act if the council does not decide on his dismissal (oversight and the public)
- [Momčilo Sovilj](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/momcilo-sovilj): He was at the faculty during the police intervention and allegedly shared a post the same day calling the expelled students Ustaše (responsible)
## Victims and others harmed
- [Tatjana Đurin](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/tatjana-durin)
- [Uglješa Surdučki](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/ugljesa-surducki)
- [Vladimir Mihić](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/vladimir-mihic)
- [Jelena Kleut](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/jelena-kleut)
## Sources
- [Danas: “Police attacked us despite our press cards”: Student thrown out of the Faculty of Philosophy tells Danas about the police raid](): 21 Jan 2026
- [021.rs: Faculty of Philosophy professor reports workplace injury from police raid](): 26 Jan 2026
- [021.rs: Drid objects to report on re-election of Faculty of Philosophy professor, keeps watch on those “he takes a liking to”](): 28 Jan 2026
- [N1: Faculty of Philosophy dean: I'm not proud of calling the police, but the situation would have escalated if I hadn't](): 2 Mar 2026
- [021.rs: Drid files another objection: decision on Faculty of Philosophy professor's re-election postponed again](): 29 Apr 2026
- [Danas: Senate decides: Vladimir Mihić of the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad not re-elected as associate professor](): 4 Jun 2026
- [Vreme: Professor Mihić dismissed, verdict against activist Brković](): 4 Jun 2026
- [N1: Professor Mihić: The University Senate's decision has arrived, I'm going to fight it in court](): 16 Jun 2026
- [021.rs: Vladimir Mihić's complaint reaches the University of Novi Sad, decision due within 30 days](): 5 Jul 2026
- [N1: Secret ballot = dismissal: Novi Sad's extended Senate meets for the second time, and a second professor loses his job](): 14 Jul 2026
- [Vreme: Professor Vladimir Mihić officially out of a job after University of Novi Sad Senate decision](): 14 Jul 2026
- [Danas: Professor Mihić receives decision terminating his employment, announces lawsuit](): 12 Aug 2026
- [N1: Independent Trade Union of the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad calls for Dean Milivoj Alanović to resign](): 4 Nov 2026
- [021.rs: Independent Trade Union of the Faculty of Philosophy also demands Alanović's resignation](): 4 Nov 2026
- [Nova.rs: Who runs the Novi Sad police? The chiefs caught on camera yesterday at the Faculty of Philosophy as police beat students](): 22 Jan 2026
- [Danas: "What you can do in Serbia in 15 minutes – throw 100 Ustaše out of the faculty": post by an assistant head of the Novi Sad Police Administration](): 22 Jan 2026
- [Nova.rs: He led the operation outside DIF, when police beat citizens at Dean Drid's call: who is Momčilo Sovilj, who calls students "Ustaše"](): 23 Jan 2026
- [Danas: Double standards at the Interior Ministry: no proceedings against Novi Sad police chief for insulting students](): 10 Feb 2026
- [Danas: Who in the Novi Sad police has "paid" with their post since the student protests began: the loyal replaced by the more loyal](): 15 May 2026
- [Insajder: Ten Faculty of Philosophy professors in Novi Sad sue their dean](): 21 Aug 2026
- [N1: Professor Jevtić, reported by the dean over a protest speech: sanctions could range from a warning to dismissal](): 13 May 2026
- [Vreme: The Jelena Kleut case: punishing the disobedient](): 16 Jan 2026
- [021.rs: Jelena Kleut dismissed from the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad](): 21 Jan 2026
- [Nova.rs: Revenge on Professor Kleut for supporting the students' struggle](): 21 Nov 2025
- [Insajder: Dean Alanović on Professor Mihić: I expect an appeal, students will not be affected in the June exam period](): 5 Jun 2026
- [021.rs: Faculty of Philosophy sends court urgent request to reinstate Professor Kleut](): 26 Jan 2026
- [N1: Kleut on Vladimir Mihić: Any professor who is not to Patrik Drid's liking can now find themselves in the same position](): 6 Jun 2026
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Source: Odgovornost, https://odgovornost.rs/en/afere/filozofski-novi-sad-2026
As of: 9 Nov 2026
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en)